presslab

Thanks guys, I'll give it a go tomorrow! I tried a 1/4" socket but I couldn't quite make it work, maybe if I had a wobble extension or something. I do need to clean some leaves out from there so I'll pop off the fender liner and see what I can make of it.

Something to watch out for is if the replacement TCU is for a different R&P ratio. This can throw a code, or just cause funky AWD. To a lesser extent the speedometer drive gear can cause this problem too, but I think this is less of a problem because it's normally related to the R&P. Anyway, just get a TCU for the car the replacement trans came from.

Haha well I guess it'd be hard to drive the Honda in reverse all the time... Although I do remember our mail person drove a Buick or something and just sat sideways across the bench seat. I wouldn't be surprised if the TCU is a different part number, due to the mounting being different. There's a metal bracket tack welded to the back of the TCU case, I've seen them in different shapes. It's real easy to swap the circuit board from one case to another, though. Of course who knows, maybe the TCU is all different, I've never seen a RHD Legacy. But knowing Subaru I doubt they'd do something like this.

Any tips on adjusting the front door hinge? Mine are slightly worn and the door is hanging a little low, so that means I need to loosen the bolts going into the body and not the door. With the fender off it looks easy, but can you get a tool in there without removing the fender?

I see, the tripod boots I've seen are still round on the inside. Maybe the old boot could be cut down and used as a bushing.

If an exact fit boot can't be found, there are the "universal" type, where it has various diameters you can cut down; silicone is very stretchy as well. I imagine one could be found that would work.

I have used a silicone CV boot from Dorman in a similar situation (CV boot near the turbo downpipe) and it has held up remarkably well.

Yes, the FWD fuse just tells the TCU to disable the AWD, and it powers the dash light. It does not directly power the Duty C solenoid. Hmm, removing the TCU is not so hard, especially compared to the trans! The wiring won't be brittle as you say, it's not hot like in the engine compartment. Why do you think the TCU is RHD specific when the trans is not? You have a lot of excuses for not wanting to touch the TCU. Your bodge wire won't damage anything more. Running in FWD temporarily is fine, but neutered permanantly is a waste as you have all the AWD stuff with more drag and higher weight for no reason. Unless you're wheeling, might as well buy a Honda.

Pull out the thermostat and see if it overheats. You sure you don't have a fuel leak? Don't mess around with this, it could burn your car down. Hoses often leak at the clamps when cold.

To convert to FWD you would need to use a "Subaspool". http://www.subarugears.com/Products.html The center diff won't allow you to leave the rear shaft disconnected, especially since the viscous part is shot. Probably cheaper to fix it correctly!

The girlfriend has General Grabber HTS on the Tribeca. They seem like all around nice tires. Quiet, good dry traction, okay in the wet, very high treadwear rating.

Low RPM is more retarded compared to higher RPM, but usually more power is made by advancing the timing, when knock-limited. See here on changing timing maps: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/129946-frankenmotor-and-ecu-hacking/

I assume the oil level was good? Could there have been ATF in the gear oil? That seal between the two can fail sometimes. I think it's usually the pinion bearing that lets go first, which if not caught right away will wipe out the R&P.

The only electronic thing I could think of is to advance the timing at low RPM. Could probably advance it a fair amount, especially on high octane.

A USDM LHD TCU will probably work, as I assume the trans you installed was not from a RHD. What's the letter code on your TCU?

That would be a mechanical resonance, for whatever reason 3700 RPM is exciting a natural frequency, maybe something in the exhaust system. Because the other new cars do this, it's an artifact of the design and not something built wrong with your car. I don't see any cause for concern, although it might be annoying I don't think it will be a reliability problem.

The blinking light is the transmission computer telling you something is wrong. You'll need a code reader to find out what it's trying to tell you though. This will give much more insight into the actual problem.

The replacement ring and pinion was probably not set up right. How long did the second one last? Did it have a faint whine noise after it was fixed? There are shims and preload adjustments that must be done correctly to ensure long life from the final drive. I doubt the hard shift has anything to do with it. That sound like a problem with the high clutch.

You probably burned out a transistor inside the TCU.

By taking the second derivative of the crank angle sensor input, the ECU can calculate the angular acceleration of the crankshaft. If there is a misfire the piston won't be pushed down with enough force, and the crank won't accelerate like it should.

Is it slipping, or does it seem like it's shifting at the wrong time? How does it shift if you floor it with the lever in "1" and shift up manually? It's possible the throttle position sensor is dirty/noisy which is confusing the transmission computer. I have successfully cleaned them before by spraying contact cleaner inside them from the backside.

I had rebuild my driveshaft a few years ago with Rockford joints. I still had some vibration and one of the problems was that clips were different widths! I replaced them all with the Duralast joints which were generally higher quality, and the clips were the same width. I ordered a couple CV boots from them recently, and they charged me $27 for shipping. Anyway, I'm peeved with Rockford.

Okay, you should check that the TCU is actually getting power to it. With the key on, check that terminals 14, 1, and 6 have around 12V with a voltmeter. If the voltages are good, maybe your TCU is bad. Get one with the same letter code on the outside; yours is probably an "EE" code. The 90-91 Legacy had different gears in the transmission and the TCU needs to match it.

The drive-by-wire models don't use a separate cruise computer, the cruise switch connects directly to the ECU. I have read that the ECU needs to be changed to have this functionality, which would be quite expensive and complicated. There are two kinds of aftermarket cruise units, an all electronic one that goes inline from the gas pedal to the ECU, and a simple cable one that could be attached to the gas pedal arm itself. I'd try to find the electronic variety myself.

On my EA82 I installed Duralast 2-0430DL joints. I think the Legacy ones are the same. I needed to grind a little bit from the inside of each yoke so the clips would sit flat. With a small press it's not hard to push the old joints out past the staking. With the new clips and a little Loctite 609 the new joints aren't going anywhere.